Twice-Divorced Paula White Praying at Trump Inauguration Is Exactly What We Expected

Twice-Divorced Paula White Praying at Trump Inauguration Is Exactly What We Expected

Today the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee announced the list of "faith leaders" who will be involved in President-elect Trump's inaugural ceremonies:

Those offering readings and giving the invocation at the ceremony are His Eminence Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, Reverend Dr. Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, and Pastor Paula White of New Destiny Christian Center.

Additionally, Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean and Founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Reverend Franklin Graham of Samaritan’s Purse and The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and Bishop Wayne T. Jackson of Great Faith Ministries International will offer readings and give the benediction.

Paula White has a long history bankruptcies, failed churches business ventures, and unsuccessful marriages, which makes her the perfect choice to deliver a prayer on behalf a president-elect who has proudly proclaimed that he's never felt the need to ask forgiveness from God for anything.

In case you're not familiar with Paula White, she's a prominent figure in the so-called "prosperity gospel" movement which teaches that God wants people to be healthy, happy, and rich. Any failure to obtain the aforementioned blessings signals a lack of faith or perhaps some sin in the Christian's life. Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention, didn't pull any punches when describing White and her brand of Christianity:

@saletan@jlupf Paula White is a charlatan and recognized as a heretic by every orthodox Christian, of whatever tribe.

White claims close ties with President-elect Trump. She told Politico in July that she's known him for 14 years, ever since he saw her on TV and said "she's fantastic" and the two met on her next trip to New York.

“I can absolutely tell you that Mr. Trump has a relationship with God. He is a Christian, he accepts Jesus as his Lord and savior,” White said.

She cites as proof of Trump's deep faith the times she saw him shake hands with construction workers in New York or Hispanic groundskeepers on his golf courses.

“There’s a lot of people that have influenced Mr. Trump’s life,” she said. “One thing I can tell you, that absolutely might be new to some of the media, new to some people, but God is not new to Mr. Trump. He absolutely has a heart and a hunger and a relationship with God.”

Why then, I wonder, did White pray for Trump as if he's an unbeliever in September of 2015, asking that "any veil would be removed" and his "eyes would be open to see the glory and goodness of God."?